Social progress. Social change and social progress

Social progress is a directed process, during which the structure of society becomes more perfect and certain values ​​of an ethical order are realized: happiness, freedom, prosperity, knowledge.

The idea of ​​progress logically fits into the directed transformation model and some versions of development theory. The classical structural-functional approach is based on the idea of ​​equilibrium social systems, cyclical theories imply that in its development society periodically returns to the starting point. The concept of progress acquires some meaning only in combination with the idea of ​​transformation (i.e., changes in society itself, and not just changes within it). American psychologist Richard Nisbet defines progress as the idea that humanity slowly, gradually and for a long time crawled out of the initial conditions of fear, lack of culture, ignorance, rising to ever higher levels of civilization. This movement will continue in the present and in the future, despite occasional deviations.

The modern interpretation of social progress is based on the following concepts:
1.the notion of irreversible time that flows linearly and ensures the continuity of the past, present and future (in accordance with this notion, progress is a positively assessed difference between the past and the present);
2. the idea of ​​directional movement, in which no stage is repeated;
3. the idea of ​​a cumulative process proceeding either in an ascending order, step by step, or in a revolutionary way;
4. understanding of the difference between the typical, necessary stages of the process;
5. idea of ​​the endogenous causes that cause self-movement (self-development) of the process;
6. the idea of ​​the inevitability, necessity and natural character of the process, which cannot be stopped or rejected;
7. idea of ​​improvement, improvement, that each subsequent stage is better than the previous one.

Progress always correlates with values, that is, it is not a purely descriptive, detailed, objectified concept, but rather a value category. The same process can be classified in different ways depending on the assumed value preferences, which are completely different for different individuals, groups, classes, nations. If absolute progress does not exist, then there is always a need for a scale of values ​​adopted as a measure, or criterion, of progress.

There are areas in which the choice of progress criterion is highly context dependent. In the XIX century. and in most of the XX century.

industrialization, urbanization, modernization were considered synonymous with progress, and it was only recently discovered that they can have too far-reaching consequences (overcrowded cities, crowded airports, traffic congestion, overproduction of goods, etc.) and that good things can have very unpleasant side effects effects (dispersal of resources, pollution and destruction of the environment, diseases of civilization). Now taking place in the post-communist countries of the Eastern and Central Europe the processes of democratization, the development of entrepreneurship and the free market are accompanied by an increase in unemployment and poverty, a weakening of social discipline, an increase in the level of crime and delinquency, local conflicts, uncontrollability and widespread mass culture.

Over a long period intellectual history many thinkers - from Plato to Thomas More and Marx - believed that progress could be sustained at all levels of society for all its members simultaneously and ultimately achieve full and universal prosperity.

Manifestations of the crisis of the idea of ​​progress:
1. The idea of ​​progress was replaced by the spread of mysticism, rebellion against reason and science, general pessimism, the idea of ​​degeneration, destruction and decline of culture.
2. The idea of ​​the need for constant economic and technological growth has been replaced by the idea of ​​limits to growth.
3. Belief in reason and science was replaced by a belief in the dominant role of emotions, intuition, the subconscious and the unconscious, the assertion of irrationalism.
4. The statement about the importance, the highest value of life on earth was replaced by a sense of meaninglessness, anomie and alienation.
5. The ideas of utopianism have collapsed. The final blow to utopian thinking came from the fall of the communist system.
6. The leitmotif of the late XX - early XXI century. the idea of ​​a crisis became widespread. At the same time, people tend to view the social crisis as chronic, general and do not foresee its future weakening.

Some thinkers attach great importance technical development, considering dominance over nature as the ultimate measure of progress. Among the particular criteria of progress, we find the following: salvation, knowledge, community of individuals, freedom (negative and positive), emancipation, domination over nature, justice, equality, abundance, the ability to choose and equal opportunities in life.

1. Social change and social progress.

2. Global society.

3. Modernization of society.

1. Social changes, their forms. In society, various social processes are continuously taking place, which can lead to the emergence of new elements and the disappearance of previously existing ones. In the process of development of society, two main models of behavior of social systems are observed - evolution and revolution.

The main sources of development of social processes are contradictions. At the same time, antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions, internal and external, are distinguished, resolved peacefully and by means of violence, armed struggle.

If we present a model of society on the diagram, then we can single out the core ( basic system spiritual, ethical and aesthetic values), the central area (the sphere of economics, science, technology) and the outer shell (political and legal spheres). Development public system can come from the outside when the political sphere provokes cultural mutations. Usually the initiative comes from other civilizations. Another way is also possible: through natural changes in one's own culture to changes in the economy and the corresponding political and legal design. The first path is revolutionary, the path of aggression against a foreign culture. The second is the evolutionary path of progressive transition from a lower to a higher level, a traditional and humane path.

The global, world-historical process of the ascent of human societies from the state of savagery to the heights of civilization is called social progress . This generalizing concept includes economic, technical and cultural progress as its constituent parts. The foundation of social progress is technical.

In cases where the acceleration of history leads to negative consequences, it is more correct to say about regression. It marks the backward movement of society, a retreat from the conquered positions, a return to the previous level. The difference between progress and regression is not only in the vector of movement, but also in scale. If progress is a global process that characterizes movement human society throughout historical time, then regression is a local process covering individual societies and short periods of time. Never before has humanity as a whole regressed, although its forward movement could be delayed, stopped.

Distinguish between gradual and abrupt types of social progress. The first is called reformist, second - revolutionary.

What are Reform and Revolution?

Reform - partial improvement in any area of ​​life, a series of gradual transformations that do not affect the foundations of the existing social system.

Revolution - complete or complex change of all or most aspects of social life, affecting the foundations of the existing social system. She wears hopping character and represents the transition of society from one qualitative state to another.

Reforms are called social, if they relate to transformations in those spheres of society or those aspects of public life that are directly related to people, are reflected in their level and way of life, health, participation in public life, access to social benefits. Changes in the rules for using long-distance telephone, railway transport or metro affect the interests of citizens. But such reforms are hardly called social reforms. On the contrary, the introduction of universal secondary education, health insurance, unemployment benefits do not just affect our interests. Such reforms concern social status of numerous layers of the population, restrict or expand the access of millions of people to social benefits - education, health care, employment, guarantees.

Along with the social ones, there are economic and political reforms. The transition of the economy to market relations, privatization, the bankruptcy law of enterprises, the new tax system - examples economic reforms... Changes to the constitution, forms of voting in elections, the expansion of civil liberties, the transition from a monarchy to a republic are examples of political reforms.

Reforms always take place "from above", are carried out by the government, albeit under pressure from the broad masses of the population. And the revolution?

Revolution- it a set of a large number or complex of reforms carried out simultaneously with the aim of changing the foundations of the social system.

The October Revolution in 1917 was carried out precisely for this purpose, as a result of which private property, the urban and rural bourgeoisie were destroyed, freedom of speech and political rights of citizens were abolished, the system of distribution of social benefits changed, in a word - the foundations of the existing system.

A revolution can affect one or more societies at a given time. There are revolutions short-term and long-term.

The longest process in the history of mankind was the so-called neolithic revolution, which represented a quantum leap from gathering to farming. The Neolithic Revolution began 10 thousand years ago and lasted 3 thousand years in some regions of the world, and 8 thousand years in others. During this time, developed agricultural-urban civilizations arose in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Greece and the Middle East. Thanks to the agrarian revolution, man ceased to be a nomad.

It dramatically changed the living conditions of a person, increased the productivity of social labor.

The second global process is called industrial revolution XVIII-XX centuries It also played an outstanding role in human history, led to the replacement of one economic system (feudalism) by another (capitalism), one technical order (manufacture) by another (machine production).

Changes in the mode of production changed the social structure of society and led to the formation of new classes - capitalists and proletarians.

Take modern society. End of XX century led a person to such boundaries, beyond which it begins completely new stage his stories. This is an age of technical achievements, a man for the first time, having overcome the force of gravity, escaped into space, means of transport and communication have reduced time and distances. Humanity turns into a single organism, some general standards of behavior and state structure emerge in it.

At the same time, the problem of preserving life on Earth has become a reality. The idea that changes in the world occur in the direction from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect, which arose in ancient times, opposed the concepts of regression (the descending line of development from the ancient "golden" age - Hesiod, Seneca), as well as theories a cyclical cycle repeating the same stages (Plato, Aristotle).

Social progress. The problem of his criterion. The idea of ​​progress began to take root in science from the 17th-18th centuries (Bacon, Voltaire), later it became generally recognized.

Social progress should be understood as one of the forms of development of society, based on such irreversible changes in it, as a result of which there is a transition to a higher level of material production and human well-being and the development of a human personality.

P. L. Lavrov: "Progress, as the meaning of history, is carried out in the growth and consolidation of solidarity, insofar as it does not interfere with the development of conscious processes and motives of action in individuals, just as in the expansion and understanding of conscious processes and motives of action in individuals, since this does not impede the growth and consolidation of solidarity among as many individuals as possible. " On the other hand, there is a very clear tendency towards an increase in the “individualization of society” (Sigmund Baumann).

Scientific and technological progress (mechanization and automation) determines other aspects of progress: urbanization, the growth of culture and opportunities for leisure, the progress of medicine, improved nutrition, reduced mortality and prolonged life. All these aspects of progress are closely interconnected.

However, the attitude to the results of social progress in science is far from unambiguous. A number of scholars believe that hopes for unlimited progress, which constitutes the core of the "new religion" designed to replace the City of God with the Earthly City, did not come true. An increasing number of people are beginning to realize that:

Unlimited gratification is not the path to happiness or even maximum pleasure;

Economic progress has touched only a limited number of rich nations; the gap between rich and poor is widening;

We did not become independent masters of our lives, but became cogs of the bureaucratic machine;

Technological progress has created a threat to the environment and the threat of nuclear war;

Man, having turned into a superhuman, endowed with superhuman strength, until he rose to the level of superhuman intelligence.

E. Fromm and a number of other authors see the reason for such disappointing consequences of progress in the industrial system itself, in the fact that its psychological premises are selfishness, selfishness, greed, which are generated by this system and by no means lead to harmony and peace. People are more and more attracted by everything mechanical, lifeless, more and more seized by the thirst for destruction. It turns out to be a forgotten person who is rejected from society, lost in the modern industrial world. The personality crisis is one of the most difficult problems generated by modern civilization, the modern industrial world.

A characteristic feature of the modern world is its multipolarity, segmentation. Humanity realizes itself in various types of societies, ethnic communities, cultural spaces, religious beliefs, spiritual traditions - all these are poles, segments of world civilization. The integrity of the world does not contradict its multipolarity. There are values ​​that we consider common to all mankind: morality; a way of life worthy of the humane essence of a person; kindness; spiritual beauty, etc. But there are values ​​that belong to certain societies or social communities: classes, nations, generations, strata, individual individuals, etc. In a rational society, we should talk about a harmonious combination of both.

The modern world is also characterized by inconsistency. The contradictions of the modern world give rise to global problems of mankind, that is, those problems that affect the vital interests of all peoples of the planet and pose a threat to its survival, and therefore require an urgent solution, moreover, through the efforts of the peoples of all countries. Among the most serious global problems are the problems of preventing world massacre, ecological catastrophe, developing and improving education and health care, providing the world's population with natural resources (raw materials, food, energy sources) or finding their substitutes, bridging the growing gap in the level and incomes of different countries, elimination of hunger, poverty, etc.

The main forms of the use of armed violence are changing before our very eyes. Along with wars (according to UNESCO estimates, at least 50 of them are waged in the world), the escalation of terrorism is growing. With the help of the means of warfare today, it is possible to destroy life on Earth many times over. However, this terrible load, destructive for the biosphere, remains mostly potential, which cannot be said about the load associated with the labor activity of people. The latter is currently close to critical and in the near future is capable of leading to the destruction of the biosphere - not as lightning fast as in war, and therefore, perhaps even more painful. The current environmental crisis is reflected in climate change; pollution of nature - water (Aral, Baikal, etc.), land, air; in the thinning of the ozone layer.

Here are just a few examples that, without any comments, show the extreme anxiety of the situation and the need for human action to save the habitat. Natural resources: 40 years after the Second World War, as much mineral raw materials were used as in the entire previous history; stocks mineral resources according to scientists' calculations, they will be depleted in a few decades. Forest: its clearance is 18 times the growth rate. Soil: 1 cm of chernozem accumulates in 300 years, and now it dies in 3 years. Ocean: oil spills, waste containing phosphorus, lead, radioactive elements, which per 1 sq. km of the surface is 17 tons. Fresh water: 80% of all diseases are caused by poor quality water. Air: 115 million passenger cars in the United States alone absorb oxygen, emit harmful substances - about 150 million tons. One of the environmental problems is climate warming. The temperature on the planet is now 2.6 degrees higher than 100 years ago. By the end of the next century, it may have increased by 5.5 degrees. Under the influence of global warming, the sea level will rise by 0.5-2 m. This will cause enormous damage to most countries.

The history of mankind teaches us that there has always been a need to harmonize human activity with the capabilities of nature. The fate of society is largely determined by what happens around us according to laws that do not depend on us. 2.5 thousand years ago, an ecological crisis was brewing in South China: the population grew rapidly, but food resources did not increase. A man found a way out: he discovered an effective technology for irrigated rice cultivation. Rice was planted in checks completely filled with water. In addition, the checks began to breed fish, which removed the labor of weeding rice plantations, fertilized the soil, and served as food. New harmonious relations between man and nature have emerged. The crisis was lifted, and on this basis an amazing civilization arose. Decide environmental problem-in forces of mankind, but for this it must regulate the activities of society, coordinate the "strategy of society" and "strategy of nature", take into account the peculiarities of the development of natural systems. And then society will gain stability in its development, will achieve the flourishing of economic activity, technology, art, manifestation of the creative individuality of man.

Any development is a movement forward or backward. So society can develop either progressively or regressively, and sometimes both of these processes are characteristic of society, only in different areas life. What is progress and regression?

Progress

Progress- from lat. progressus - movement forward, This is a direction in the development of society, which is characterized by movement from lower to higher, from less perfect to more perfect, this is a forward movement for the better.

Social progress Is a world-historical process, which is characterized by the ascent of mankind from primitiveness (savagery) to civilization, which is based on achievements scientific and technical, political and legal, moral and ethical.

Types of progress in society

Progress criteria

Question about criteria for progress(that is signs, grounds, allowing to judge the phenomena as progressive) has always caused ambiguous answers in different historical epochs. Here are some points of view on the criteria for progress.

Modern criteria for progress are not so straightforward. There are many of them, in combination they testify to the progressive development of society.

Criteria for social progress of modern scientists:

• Development of production, the economy as a whole, an increase in human freedom in relation to nature, the standard of living of people, an increase in the people's well-being, the quality of life.
• The level of democratization of society.
• The level of freedom, enshrined in law, the opportunities provided for the all-round development and self-realization of the individual, the reasonable use of freedom.
• Moral improvement of society.
• Development of enlightenment, science, education, increasing human needs for scientific, philosophical, aesthetic knowledge of the world.
• Life expectancy of people.
• Increase in human happiness and goodness.

However, progress is not only positive. Unfortunately, humanity is both creating and destroying. Skillful conscious use of the achievements of the human mind is also one of the criteria for the progress of society.

The contradictory nature of social progress

Summarizing I would like to note that humanity is characterized by the desire to go forward, opening up new and new opportunities. However, you need to remember, and scientists in the first place, what will be the consequences of such a progressive movement whether it will turn out to be a disaster for people. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the negative effects of progress.

Regression

The opposite of progress is the path of social development regression(from Lat. regressus, that is, movement in the opposite direction, return back) - movement from more perfect to less perfect, from higher forms of development to lower, movement back, change to the worse.

Signs of regression in society

• Deteriorating quality of life of people
• Decline in the economy, crisis phenomena
• Increase in mortality, decrease in average living standards
• Deteriorating demographic situation, decreasing fertility
• An increase in the incidence of people, epidemics., A large percentage of the population with

Chronic diseases.

• Fall of morality, education, culture of society as a whole.
• Solving issues by forceful, declarative methods and methods.
• Reducing the level of freedom in society, its violent suppression.
• Weakening of the country as a whole and its international position.

Solving problems associated with regressive processes in society is one of the tasks of the government and the country's leadership. In a democratic state, following the path of civil society, which is Russia, I have great importance public organizations, the opinion of the people. Problems must be solved, and solved jointly by the authorities and the people.

Prepared by: Vera Melnikova

The idea of ​​progressive development entered science as a secularized (secular) version of the Christian faith in providence. The image of the future in biblical stories was an irreversible, predetermined and sacred process of the development of people led by divine will. However, the origins of this idea are discovered much earlier. Next, we will analyze what progress is, what is its purpose and significance.

First mentions

Before saying what progress is, a brief historical description of the emergence and spread of this idea should be given. In particular, in the ancient Greek philosophical tradition there are discussions about the improvement of the existing socio-political structure, which developed from the primitive community and family to the ancient polis, that is, the city-state (Aristotle "Politics", Plato "Laws"). A little later, during the Middle Ages, Bacon tried to apply the concept and concept of progress in the ideological field. In his opinion, the knowledge accumulated over time is increasingly enriched and improved. Thus, each next generation is able to see farther and better than its predecessors.

What is progress?

This word has latin roots and in translation means "success", "moving forward". Progress is the direction of development of a progressive nature. This process is characterized by the transition to the higher from the lower, from less to more perfect. The progress of society is a global, world-wide historical phenomenon. This process involves the ascent of human associations from savagery, primitive states to the heights of civilization. This transition is based on political and legal, moral and ethical, scientific and technical achievements.

Main components

The above describes what progress is and when they first began to talk about this concept. Next, we will analyze its components. In the course of improvement, the following sides develop:

• Material. V in this case we are talking about the most complete satisfaction of the benefits of all people and the elimination of any technical restrictions for this.
• Social component. Here we are talking about the process of bringing society closer to justice and freedom.
• Scientific. This component reflects the process of continuous, deepening and expanding knowledge of the surrounding world, its development both in the micro- and in the macrosphere; liberation of knowledge from the boundaries of economic expediency.

New time

During this period, they began to see progress in natural science. G. Spencer expressed his point of view on the process. In his opinion, progress - both in nature and in society - was subject to a universal evolutionary increasing complexity of internal functioning and organization. With the passage of time, the forms of progress began to be seen in literature and general history. Art did not go unnoticed either. In different civilizations, there was a variety of social services. orders, which, in turn, determined different types progress. The so-called "staircase" was formed. At its top were the most developed and civilized societies of the West. Further, other cultures stood at various levels. The distribution depended on the level of development. The concept has been "westernized". As a result, such types of progress as "Americancentrism" and "Eurocentrism" have emerged.

Newest time

During this period, the decisive role was assigned to man. Weber emphasized the tendency to rationalize the universal character in the management of the diverse. Durkheim gave other examples of progress. He spoke of the trend towards social integration through "organic solidarity". It was based on the complementary and mutually beneficial contribution of all participants in society.

Classic concept

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is called "the triumph of the idea of ​​development". At that time, the general belief that scientific and technological progress could guarantee continuous improvement in life was accompanied by a spirit of romantic optimism. In general, there was a classical concept in society. It represented an optimistic idea of ​​the gradual liberation of humanity from fear and ignorance on the way to more and more refined and high levels of civilization. The classical concept was based on the concept of linear irreversible time. Here progress was positively characterized by the difference between the present and the future, or the past and the present.

Targets and goals

It was assumed that the described movement will continue continuously not only in the present, but also in the future, despite random deviations. There was a fairly widespread belief among the masses that progress could well be maintained at all stages, in every basic structure of society. As a result, everyone should have achieved complete prosperity.

Main criteria

Among them, most often met:

• Religious improvement (J. Boucet, Augustine).
• Increase scientific knowledge(O. Comte, J. A. Condorcet).
• Equality and justice (K. Marx, T. More).
• Expansion of individual freedom in combination with the development of morality (E. Durkheim, I. Kant).
• Urbanization, industrialization, improvement of technology (C.A. Saint-Simon).
• Domination over natural forces (G. Spencer).

Inconsistency of progress

The first doubts about the correctness of the concept began to be expressed after the First World War. The inconsistency of progress consisted in the emergence of ideas about negative side effects with the development of society. F. Tennis was one of the first to criticize. He believed that social development from traditional to modern, industrial, not only did not improve, but, on the contrary, worsened the living conditions of people. Primary, immediate, personal social connections traditional human interaction have been replaced by mediated, impersonal, secondary, exclusively instrumental contacts inherent in modern world... This, according to Tennis, was the main problem of progress.

Strengthening criticism

After World War II, it became obvious to many that development in one area entails negative consequences in another. Industrialization, urbanization, scientific and technological progress were accompanied by environmental pollution. Which, in turn, provoked A new theory emerged. The belief that humanity needs continuous economic progress has been replaced by the alternative thought of "limits to growth."

Forecast

The researchers calculated that as the consumption level approached different countries to Western standards, the planet could explode from environmental overload. The concept of the "golden billion", according to which only 1 billion people from wealthy countries can be guaranteed a secure existence on Earth, completely undermined the main postulate on which the classical idea of ​​progress was based - orientation towards a better future for all living without exception. The belief in the superiority of the direction of development along which the civilization of the West was going, which dominated for a long period of time, was replaced by disappointment.

Utopian vision

This thinking reflected a highly idealized view of the best society. Presumably, this utopian thinking was also dealt a powerful blow. The last of the attempts to implement this type of vision of the world was the world socialist system. At the same time, mankind at this stage does not have in stock projects "capable of mobilizing collective, universal actions, capturing the human imagination" that could orient society towards a bright future (this role was played very effectively by the ideas of socialism). Instead, today there are either simple extrapolations of existing trends, or catastrophic prophecies.

Reflections on the future

The development of ideas about upcoming events is currently going in two directions. In the first case, the prevailing pessimism is defined, in which gloomy images of decline, destruction and degeneration are visible. Disillusionment with scientific and technical rationalism began to spread mysticism and irrationalism. Emotions, intuition, subconscious perception are increasingly opposed to reason and logic in one sphere or another. According to the statements of radical postmodern theories, reliable criteria by which myth differed from reality, ugly from beautiful, virtue from vice have disappeared in modern culture. All this indicates that the era of "higher freedom" from morality, traditions, progress, in the end, has begun. In the second direction, one can see an active search for new concepts of development that can give people positive guidance for the coming periods, save humanity from unfounded illusions. Postmodern ideas have largely rejected developmental theory in its traditional version with finalism, fatalism and determinism. Most of of them, she preferred other examples of progress - other probabilistic approaches to the development of society and culture. Some theorists (Buckley, Archer, Etzioni, Wallerstein, Nisbet) in their concepts interpret the idea as a possible chance of improvement, which may occur with a certain degree of probability, or may not be noticed.

The principle of constructivism

Of all the variety of approaches, it was this concept that served as the theoretical foundation for postmodernism. The task is to find in the daily normal life of people driving forces progress. According to K. Lasch, the solution to the riddle is provided by the confidence that improvements can occur solely through human efforts. Otherwise, the task is simply unsolvable.

Alternative concepts

All of them, which have arisen within the framework of the theory of activity, are very abstract. Alternative concepts appeal to "the whole person" without showing any particular interest in cultural and civilizational differences. In this case, in fact, one can see new type public utopias. It is a cybernetic modeling of social cultures of the ideal order, viewed through the prism of human activity. These concepts return positive guidelines, a certain belief in probable progressive development. Moreover, they name (albeit at a highly theoretical level) the sources and conditions of growth. Meanwhile, alternative concepts do not answer the main question: why does humanity, "free from" and "free for", in a number of cases choose progress and strive for a "new, active society", but often decadence and destruction serve as a guideline for it, which , in turn, leads to stagnation and regression. If one is based on that, it can hardly be argued that society needs progress. This is due to the fact that it is impossible to prove whether humanity will want to realize its creative ability in the future. There are no answers to these questions in cybernetics and systems theory. However, they were analyzed in detail by religion and culture. In this regard, sociocultural ethicocentrism can act today as an alternative to constructivist modernism in the theory of progress.

Finally

Contemporary Russian philosophers are increasingly returning to " Silver age". Referring to this heritage, they try again to hear the originality of the rhythms of national culture, to translate them into a rigorous scientific language. According to Panarin, the biomorphic structure of cognition shows a person the image of the cosmos as a living, organic whole. His space awakens in people a motivation of a higher order, incompatible With irresponsible consumer selfishness It is now clear that modern social science requires a major revision of existing core principles, priorities and values, and can suggest new directions for a person if he, in turn, finds the strength to take advantage of them.

History shows that no society stands still, but constantly changes ... Social change- this is the transition of social systems, communities, institutions and organizations from one state to another. On the basis of changes, the process of social development is carried out. The concept of "social development" concretizes the concept of "social change". Social development- an irreversible, directed change in social systems. Development presupposes a transition from simple to complex, from lower to higher, etc. In turn, the concept of "social development" is clarified by such qualitative characteristics as "social progress" and "social regression"

Social progress- this is a direction in the development of human society, which is characterized by an irreversible change in humanity, as a result of which there is a transition from the lowest to the highest, from a less perfect state to a more perfect one. If the sum of the positive consequences of large-scale changes in society exceeds the sum of the negative ones, then one speaks of progress. Otherwise, regression takes place.

Regression- a type of development characterized by the transition from higher to lower.

Thus, progress is both local and global. The regression is only local.

Usually, social progress does not mean certain progressive changes of individual social communities, layers and groups or individuals, and the ascending development of the whole society as a whole, a movement towards the perfection of all mankind.

Mechanism social progress in all systems consists in the emergence of new needs in various spheres of social life and the search for opportunities to satisfy them. New needs arise as a result of human production activities, they are associated with the search and invention of new means of labor, communication, organization of social life, with the expansion and deepening of the scope of scientific knowledge, the complication of the structure of creative and consumer activities of a person.

Very often, the emergence and satisfaction of social needs is carried out on the basis of an open conflict of interests of various social communities and social groups, as well as the subordination of the interests of some social communities and groups to others. In this case, social violence turns out to be an inevitable companion of social progress. Social progress as a consistent ascent to more complex forms social life, is carried out as a result of resolving the contradictions unfolding at the previous stages and phases of social development.

The source, the primary cause of social progress, determining the desires and actions of millions of people, are their own interests and needs. What are the human needs that determine social development? All needs are divided into two groups: natural and historical. Natural human needs are all social needs, the satisfaction of which is necessary for the preservation and reproduction of human life as a natural biological being. Human natural needs are limited biological structure person. The historical needs of a person are all social and spiritual needs, the satisfaction of which is necessary for the reproduction and development of a person as a social being. None of the groups of needs can be satisfied outside of society, outside the development of social material and spiritual production. Unlike natural needs, the historical needs of a person are generated by the course of social progress, are unlimited in development, due to which social and intellectual progress is unlimited.

However, social progress is not only an objective, but also a relative form of development. Where there are no opportunities for the development of new needs and their satisfaction, the line of social progress stops, periods of decline and stagnation appear. In the past, there were often cases of social regression, the death of previously formed cultures and civilizations. Consequently, as practice shows, social progress in world history occurs in a zigzag manner.

The entire experience of the twentieth century refuted the one-factor approach to development modern society... The formation of a particular social structure is influenced by many factors: the progress of science and technology, the state of economic relations, the structure political system, type of ideology, level of spiritual culture, national character, international environment or the existing world order and the role of the individual.

There are two types of social progress: gradual (reformist) and abrupt (revolutionary).

Reform- partial improvement in any area of ​​life, a series of gradual transformations that do not affect the foundations of the existing social system.

Revolution- a complex jump-like change in all or most aspects of social life, affecting the foundations of the existing system and representing the transition of society from one qualitative state to another.

The difference between reform and revolution is usually seen in the fact that reform is a change implemented on the basis of values ​​existing in society. A revolution, on the other hand, is a radical rejection of existing values ​​in the name of a reorientation to others.

One of the tools for the movement of society along the path of social progress based on a combination of reforms and revolution in modern Western sociology is modernization. Translated from English "modernization" means modernization. The essence of modernization is associated with the spread throughout the globe social relations and values ​​of capitalism. Modernization Is a revolutionary transition from pre-industrial to industrial or capitalist society carried out through comprehensive reforms, it implies a radical change in social institutions and the way of life of people, covering all spheres of society.

Sociologists distinguish between two types of modernization: organic and inorganic. Organic modernization is the moment of the country's own development and prepared by the entire course of the previous development. It occurs as a natural process of progressive development of social life during the transition from feudalism to capitalism. Such modernization begins with a change in public consciousness.

Inorganic modernization occurs as a response to an external challenge from more developed countries... It is a “catch-up” development method undertaken by the ruling circles of a country in order to overcome historical backwardness and avoid foreign dependence. Inorganic modernization starts with economics and politics. It is accomplished by borrowing foreign experience, acquiring advanced equipment and technology, inviting specialists, studying abroad, restructuring forms government controlled and the norms of cultural life modeled on the advanced countries.

In the history of social thought, three models of social change have been proposed: a downward movement, from peak to decline; movement along vicious circle- in cycles; movement from the highest to the lowest - progress. These three options have always been present in all theories of social change.

The simplest type of social change is linear, when the volume of changes occurring is constant at any given time. The linear theory of social progress is based on the progress of the productive forces. The events of the last quarter of the twentieth century have shown that we will have to part with the notion that changes in productive forces and production relations are taken as the key and, in fact, the only source of development. The rise of the productive forces does not yet guarantee progress. Life shows that the unlimited increase in the material means of life, taken for good, turns out to be disastrous consequences for a person. A long period understanding of social progress was associated with industrial development, with high rates economic growth and the creation of a large machine industry. The conditions and forms of education of economic, political and social life are subordinated to the development of technical and economic parameters, the achievement of industrial technology. But in the last third of the twentieth century, the euphoria of industrial and technical optimism subsided. Industrial development has not only created a threat to social and cultural values, but also undermined its own foundation. In the West, they started talking about the crisis of industrialism, the signs of which were the destruction of the environment and exhaustion natural resources... The discrepancy between the level of scientific, technical and economic development and the level of satisfaction of human needs is becoming more and more obvious. The very concept of social progress has also changed. Its main criterion is bringing social order in accordance not so much with the requirements of the development of technology, but, first of all, with the natural nature of man.

Cyclic changes are characterized by the successive passage of stages. According to this theory, social development does not proceed in a straight line, but rather in a circle. If in a directed process each subsequent phase differs from any other that preceded it in time, then in a cyclic process the state of the changing system at a later time will be the same as it was earlier, i.e. will repeat exactly, but for more high level.

In everyday social life, a lot is organized cyclically: for example, agricultural life - and in general the whole life of agrarian societies - is seasonal, cyclical, since it is determined by natural cycles. Spring is sowing time, summer, autumn is harvest time, winter is a pause, no work. The next year, everything repeats itself. An illustrative example the cyclical nature of social changes is the change of generations of people. Each generation is born, goes through a period of social maturation, then a period of vigorous activity, followed by a period of old age and natural completion life cycle... Each generation is formed in specific social conditions, therefore it is not like previous generations and brings to life, politics, economy, culture something of its own, new, which has not yet been in social life.

Sociologists of different directions record the fact that many social institutions, communities, classes and even entire societies change according to a cyclical pattern - the emergence, growth, flourishing, crisis and decay, the emergence of a new phenomenon. Long-term cyclical changes are associated with the rise and fall of historically specific civilizations. They are what Spengler and Toynbee mean when they talk about civilizational cycles.

About the development of cyclical representations in the biblical book of Eclezziast it is said: “What was, will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. "

In the records of Herodotus (5th century BC), a diagram of the application of the cycle to political regimes: monarchy - tyranny - oligarchy - democracy - ochlocracy. In the works of Polybius (200-118 BC) a similar idea is held that all states go through inevitable cycles of growth - zenith - decline.

Social processes can spiral when successive states, although fundamentally similar, are not identical. An upward spiral means repeating a process at a relatively higher level; a downward spiral means repeating a process at a relatively lower level.